Scott Pioli has become a hot commodity among a few teams hoping to rebuild.

Pioli, one of the architects behind New England's three Super Bowl victories, is talking to Kansas City about its vacant general manager's job. He has also been courted by Cleveland for its GM position.

The 43-year-old Pioli was scheduled to meet with Chiefs owner Clark Hunt on Monday, according to persons with knowledge of the meeting. They requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak for Pioli.

Meanwhile, the Denver Broncos on Monday interviewed Raheem Morris, Tampa Bay's defensive backs coach and newly appointed defensive coordinator, about the coaching job that opened when Mike Shanahan was fired.

Also, the New York Jets will interview Cardinals offensive line coach Russ Grimm on Thursday in Arizona about their coaching vacancy, a person familiar with the search told The Associated Press.

The Chiefs are looking for a replacement for Carl Peterson, who resigned after 20 years with Kansas City as CEO, president and general manager. The new GM will decide the future of coach Herman Edwards, under whom the Chiefs finished 2-14 this season.

Despite that record, Kansas City is considered an attractive job because the Chiefs are one of the NFL's youngest teams and were close in many of their losses this season.

STEELERS' HARRISON IS AP'S TOP DEFENSIVE PLAYER: Kent State once sent a linebacker to the Pittsburgh Steelers who epitomized everything the Steel Curtain was about.

That was Jack Lambert.

The current version of the hard-hitting, versatile and dynamic former Kent Stater in Steel City is James Harrison, The Associated Press 2008 Defensive Player of the Year.

The linebacker, who had a career-high 16 sacks to set a team record and led the NFL with a career-high seven forced fumbles, beat Dallas' DeMarcus Ware in balloting by a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters announced Monday. Pittsburgh was the league's stingiest in total defense, pass defense and points allowed. Harrison was its main hammer.

"That's something that everybody in the league would love to have, to be voted the top player in the league for that year," Harrison said. "In my mind, I think I do — and it's going to sound boring — what the defense allows me to do and what my teammates allow me to do."

Harrison earned 22 votes to 13 for Ware.